Doll Garden of Sabile

Sabile is largely known for its lovely wine-growing hill, but near this well-known landmark, is a small and strange garden filled with hundreds of pale straw dolls.

All the dolls look rather similar in appearance and the garden has over 200 dolls with more appearing each year. Most of the dolls are set about different everyday situations like cooking a meal, cutting down a tree, or even walking up to altar. The dolls are all the creation of one woman who tends to knock around the garden. She doesn’t seem to have any set explanation for the garden, simply saying, “They are just dolls.”

The straw figures of policemen, singers, children, and parents all have a face that has been painted or drawn on their blank, fabric heads. Unsettlingly, they all have a similar grimace that can seem a bit… unsettling.  

Real people are free to walk around in between these everyday settings and take pictures at their leisure. The garden itself is centrally located in Sabile. Some people feel this garden is somewhat spooky. Some consider it to be fun. But you definitely can’t pass through Sabile without wondering about this garden. Also, if any of the citizens of the garden seem to move, alert someone immediately.